Jeanne Jakle: Carrie Fisher laughs at her life on HBO

Published 12:00 am, Saturday, December 11, 2010

Carrie Fisher discusses her Hollywood family's colorful roots in the state performance of "Wishful Drinking." HBO

Carrie Fisher discusses her Hollywood family's colorful roots in the state performance of "Wishful Drinking." HBO

Jeanne Jakle: Carrie Fisher laughs at her life on HBO

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I imagine everyone, at one time or another, has felt like the butt of life's little jokes.

Carrie Fisher, though, has managed to turn her decades of ups and downs into not only a best-selling autobiography, but a hit stage performance. The latter was taped last summer and turned into the TV special “Wishful Drinking.” The 75-minute one-woman show debuts at 8 Sunday night on HBO.

Fisher combines archival Hollywood and childhood footage with raw, witty commentary about growing up the daughter of Tinsel Town “royalty” — Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher — as well as taking on, at age 19, the iconic role of Princess Leia in “Star Wars.”

There are also her addictions and the bipolar disorder she has battled most of her life. But, hey, as she indicates herself, what marvelous material all this has provided. In “Wishful Drinking,” Fisher proclaims: “If my life wasn't funny, it would just be true. And that is completely unacceptable.”

She begins with a wooden pointer and a blackboard full of photos, detailing her complicated family tree as “Hollywood 101.” First stop: Her movie star mother's “storybook marriage” to popular crooner Fisher and the birth of herself and brother Todd. She then relates how that quickly fell apart when the couple's friend, Elizabeth Taylor, became a widow and — presto! — Fisher's new wife.

Also uproariously funny are her references to “Star Wars” and that hairdo made up of buns on both sides of her head. She includes clips to illustrate, self-effacingly, how her British accent fluctuated throughout, and jokes about “Star Wars” resulting in her image being merchandised for 30 years — dolls, shampoo, soap, even a PEZ dispenser.

“George Lucas ruined my life,” she says, “and I mean that in the nicest way possible.”

As the saying goes, however, you really have to be there. That way, you get the benefit of Fisher delivering the material in her distinctive matter-of-fact fashion.

So be there! I guarantee you a nightcap full of intoxicating giggles.

Not the retiring sort

Rumors of my retirement have been greatly exaggerated.

Last week, I wrote about radio institution Bud Little retiring from WOAI. However, some who read the story online, which featured a large picture of me and the headline, “Longtime WOAI reporter retires,” mistakenly thought it was about this longtime columnist.

I received several e-mails to this effect and, while out and about last week, people in various shops asked if I really was retiring. “I heard it was all over the Internet,” one lady said.

She and others acted dismayed, making me recall the old fantasy of attending your own funeral and hearing nice things said about you. Of course, there also was the flipside. “This is false advertising!” was one reader's response. “I was misled into thinking Jackel (sic) was retiring. What a downer to find out it isn't happening.”

Ouch. As I write about media personalities, I frequently get reports that someone is leaving a station, has been let go or, yes, is retiring. Naturally, I call that person and ask. Sometimes it's true. If it's just a rumor, my question still makes the subject uncomfortable or, worse, paranoid.

I can say now I know just how that feels.

Jeanne Jakle's column appears Wednesdays and Sundays in S.A. Life, and she blogs at Jakle's Jacuzzi on mySA.com. E-mail her at jjakle@express-news.net.